Derby's top cop believes vile sex monster Ilija High could have gone on to commit murder.

Chief Superintendent Jim Allen said catching High, who launched a terrifying two-year campaign of abuse against women in the city, was one of the biggest achievements of the year.

High, of Chaddesden, is serving a 22-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to raping a woman three times in Darley Abbey and trying to rape two others in Spondon.

He was caught after Derbyshire police launched a major manhunt for him in February 2017. A Derby Telegraph reader who had read our coverage approached a Police Community Support Officer and revealed a name which ultimately led to High's capture.

Ilija High is serving 22 years in prison

Mr Allen said: "He had to be caught. I am extremely pleased that we got him. We got him through a member of the public that did not think something was right and thought they had to say something, so they approached a PCSO and that is how we caught him.

"I cannot rule out that he could have committed murder at some stage. We have got him and he is now serving 22 years in prison. That is down to the vigilance and awareness of our communities. We may have had to go through many thousands of DNA tests with men before we finally had got to him."

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Mr Allen, reflecting on his first year at the helm of policing Derby, South Derbyshire and Erewash, said the force's commitment to tackling human trafficking and modern slavery had also been a big priority for him in his first year in charge.

He has previously spoken to the Derby Telegraph about how violence between gangs of human traffickers and modern slavers had spilled out on the streets of the city. He also warned unscrupulous bosses in the city who turned a blind eye to slaves working for their companies face being prosecuted.

Derby rapist Ilija High pictured during a police interview

Looking into the future, Mr Allen said the force would have to adapt and change as it deals with increasingly complex threats.

He said: "We're answering 999 calls in about six seconds and 101 calls in about 60 seconds which is really important. We need to be as effective with technology as we can be."

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He said certain crimes which police forces had devoted a lot of resources to in the past would be given less priority as officers looks to expand and prioritise areas such as child sexual exploitation, human trafficking, modern slavery and cyber crime.

Crimes which may be given a lower priority include bilking - when a customer fills their car with petrol at a garage but leaves without paying.

Mr Allen said the force gets no reports of thefts from petrol stations that make the customer pay first before filling up their vehicles.

Chief Superintendent Jim Allen

He said: "We would not expect a bank to give us cash before we put our card in. That would be totally bizarre yet you can get £70 or £80 worth of petrol without asking for payment."

He said crimes such as bilking would always be recorded, but unless attitudes change he said it would not be a priority for the force.

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Mr Allen also warned supermarkets they faced a similar situation. He said: "If you make your business displaying high value stock to attract custom but this increases the likelihood of thefts then you have got to accept our point of view which is that we have other greater priorities than trying to solve that crime.

"If we have to decide between the victim of £50 of vodka being stolen or a victim of modern day slavery then the modern day slavery victim is going to win."